Old Eggners Ferry Bridge to retire after 84 years

As soon as next week an explosion specialist will survey the old Eggners Ferry Bridge, after the new bridge opened Friday.

In a week or two the pavement will be removed, then the implosion. I spoke to many people who were excited about the new bridge, but some some sad to see this one go.

To some of you, it may look like just an old rusty bridge. To Kerry Parker, it’s a reminder that, even after 84 years of soaring above the water, all things have an expiration date. "I’m going to miss the old bridge," Parker said.

The bridge is also a getaway for Parker: taking him to a more simple and happy time.

"I could go back in time in my mind to the good times and the good memories of years ago when me and my granddad using to go fishing on the other side of the bridge," Parker said.

It was completed in 1932 before Kentucky Lake was formed.

When Claude Nimmo was two, he believes, he’s the oldest Egner relative, Egner is his mother’s maiden name, left. The name was misspelled for the old Eggners Ferry by Confederate Brigadier Lloyd Tilghman in a message he sent saying Union soldiers were on their way to Murray. He spelled the name with two Gs, and it stuck.

And although that name will be on the new bridge. He says it was the bridge that ruined the family’s ferry business.

"The Egner’s decided there’s no more value to stay here and they moved to Oklahoma," Nimmo said.

Not every span made it 84 years. You can clearly see which one was added in January of 2012.

The connection between Aurora and Land Between the Lakes made national news when the Delta Mariner crashed into the bridge, but the bridge pushed on to April 2016.

Parker drove down memory lane one last time. and says he’ll never have the same memories on the new four-lane bridge.

"Thank god I’ll still have all of those memories. I’ll still have all of those good memories. Nobody can take those good memories away from you.>

Soon to be a distant memory– today– this modern marvel of it’s time is retiring.

"We do need a new bridge, but it’ll never bring me the joy that the old bridge did." Nimmo said.